In many cases it is desirable to enter information into a computer using handwriting instead of a keyboard. This is the case with many Asian languages, for example, where the large number of characters makes it difficult to use a keyboard to type information. One solution is to use handwriting recognition software to translate natural handwriting into machine readable characters. The handwriting is collected by a digitizing surface that records the position of a pen or stylus at frequent intervals, thereby providing a series of coordinates representing the hand directed movement of the stylus (the handwriting) to the handwriting recognition program.
In some cases, a transparent digitizing surface is integrated with a display, which echoes the motion of the pen or stylus by representing electronically on an integral display where the pen has touched the surface (commonly referred to by those skilled in the art as "ink"). Unfortunately, digitizing displays are expensive, and so a more typical solution is to have an opaque digitizing tablet beside a computer, and to use a standard display or monitor to present the ink. While less expensive, this approach has a number of problems such as the user cannot simultaneously look at their pen and the computer display as they write thereby increasing the difficulty of targeting their handwriting appropriately. One solution is to manufacture the digitizing tablet so that it corresponds exactly to the writing area on the display to allow the user to sense by tactile feedback the boundaries of the writing area. Unfortunately, display writing areas can vary widely between manufacturers. Also, a user would not be able to also use the digitizing tablet for cursor control since the user would be not able to direct the cursor outside the of the writing area. The current invention is designed to remedy these problems and provide an extremely simple and low cost input solution that allows both targeted writing and the ability to access computer and other controls around the rest of the display screen.